On August 15th, 2023
Novità di Ferragosto hosted by Interprocom took place on the ground floor of The Ritz-Carlton Hotel, Huamao, Beijing.
Interprocom’s partners such as Donnafugata, Marchesi di Barolo, Ornellaia, Tenuta Luce, Livio Felluga and Feudi di San Gregorio were among the wineries exhibiting their novelties on site.
The tasting consisted of 3 main parts aimed at offering our guests a versatile experience on site as well as a learning opportunity.
PART 1: Experience
On-site, there were over 40 wines from 15 renowned wineries across 9 major regions of Italy.
The wineries span from North to South, covering Italy, encompassing well-known major regions as well as niche boutique ones.
PART 2: Masterclass
There were two masterclasses on-site.
We were honored to have distinguished guest-speakers join our masterclasses and present their ideas on sustainable practices in wine-making as well as innovative approaches to wine pairing.
Guest Speakers:
Professor Zhan Jicheng, Professor of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering at China Agricultural University and Chief Editor of 'Chinese Wine' Magazine
Mr. Marino D’Antonio, Culinary Director of Giada Garden and Author of 'Come to Discover Italian Food' and 'Four Seasons Italy'
Ms. Lynne Chen, Partner at Drink Art Studio, Former General Manager of TRB and IL Ristorante Niko Romito at Bvlgari Hotel
Professor Zhan started from history, providing a comprehensive analysis of the definitions and distinctions between organic wines and biodynamic methods. He clarified each of the confusing points.
Marino, from his professional perspective, shared his understanding of taste while emphasizing the excellent compatibility between local dishes and native wines. Lynne then continued to elaborate on wine selection.
Part 3: Wine Roulette
We also held an Italian wine knowledge competition inviting wine enthusiasts from both within and outside the industry to compete on stage.
It was refreshing to see the enthusiasm about Italian wines displayed by the invited wine professionals and educators.
Not only were they able to answer most questions correctly with no preparation, but also share their unique insights into the topics with the audience observing the activity first-hand on site.
We also organized a competition segment with the ChatGPT.
The participants proved more agile and considerate than AI. When asked a question about how to choose wine for a specific gentleman, they offered multiple solutions to a complex question, considering and analyzing the answer from all possible angles.
“In Italian, ’Novità’ means ‘Novelty’ in the meaning of freshness. The name we chose for this event reflects its nature – allowing the public to taste the newest vintages of familiar wines, discover new wineries and wines on the market, as well as raising important topics related to new, sustainable approaches in the wine industry, wine marketing and wine making,” says Alessandro Mugnano, CEO at Interprocom Cantine Divine.
As an industry leader in wine import and distribution, Interprocom has a responsibility to lead the way in innovation, wine education and promotion. We will continue our efforts in creating meaningful experiences for Chinese wine-lovers and industry professionals in the upcoming months.
Stay tuned!
